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Author Spotlight: Discovering New Alkaloids in Plants with Advanced Mass Spectrometry Techniques
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Cephalotaxus Alkaloids
Joëlle Pérard-Viret1, Laith Quteishat2, Rana Alsalim2
1Université Paris Descartes, CNRS, Université Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France.
The Alkaloids. Chemistry and Biology
|August 26, 2017
Summary
Cephalotaxus alkaloids, known for their anti-leukemia properties, include homoharringtonine (HHT), approved for treating myeloid leukemia. Research continues to identify new structures and develop synthetic methods for these potent compounds.
Area of Science:
- Natural Product Chemistry
- Medicinal Chemistry
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Cephalotaxus alkaloids are plant secondary metabolites with a 60-year history of research.
- Extracts from Cephalotaxus species show significant anti-leukemia activity in mice.
- Cephalotaxine (CET) was the first major alkaloid isolated in 1963.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the structural features and biological activities of Cephalotaxus alkaloids.
- To highlight the antileukemic activity of homoharringtonine (HHT).
- To discuss recent advancements in the identification of new natural structures and synthetic methodologies.
Main Methods:
- Structure elucidation of over 70 identified compounds.
- Biological studies focusing on antileukemic and antitumor activities.
- Development of synthetic methodologies for HHT, CET, and analogs.
Main Results:
- Homoharringtonine (HHT) demonstrated marked benefits in treating orphan myeloid leukemia.
- HHT was approved by the European Medicine Agency (2009) and FDA (2012).
- HHT's mechanism involves inhibition of protein synthesis at the ribosome.
Conclusions:
- Cephalotaxus alkaloids, particularly HHT, are crucial in leukemia treatment.
- Ongoing research continues to uncover novel Cephalotaxus structures.
- Synthetic efforts have enabled the production of high-purity compounds for clinical studies.
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